No . 130
The Trusty Servant
The Du Boulay Bequest
Richard Foster ( History since 2012 & Keeper of Collections ) describes a generous addition to Treasury :
The College has this year received a significant gift of Chinese porcelain from Anthony du Boulay ( C , 43-46 ). The collection comprises about 30 pieces , dating from the 1 st century BC to the early 19 th century . These will be the subject of special exhibition in Treasury from January to June 2021 . Following this , the new pieces will go on permanent display alongside the Duberly Collection , which was donated to the College in the 1970s .
Anthony built up his collection during a long career in the art market . He joined Christie ’ s in 1949 , where he was Head of Ceramics ( 1956-1980 ) and President of Christie ’ s Geneva ( 1967-1980 ). He is the author of three books on Chinese ceramics , including a catalogue of the Duberly Collection at Winchester , published in 2019 .
The pieces that Anthony has given to Winchester have been chosen to complement the Duberly collection , and include many kinds of ceramics not already represented in it . The chronological range of the College ’ s holdings is extended by two pieces from the Han dynasty ( 202 BC – 220 AD ), when the Chinese first began to manufacture high-quality pottery in large quantities . A large vase and a ‘ Hill jar ’, moulded with animal figures , show the innovative glazes and decorative techniques characteristic of the period .
Anthony ’ s gift includes eight pieces from the Song Dynasty ( 960-1279 ). This period is widely regarded as the golden age of Chinese ceramics , when kilns across the country produced a range of distinctive wares , often of exceptional quality . The College already possessed good examples of the green celadon wares of the Song dynasty , but this new gift adds superb examples of various other types . An 11 th -century Ding-ware bowl illustrates some of the qualities of the best Song ceramics . The vessel is undecorated apart from a transparent white glaze that enhances the appearance of the white body beneath . This restrained decoration focuses attention on the elegant shape of the bowl and its perfect proportions . The vessel is extraordinarily light and delicate ; its walls are so thin that it had to be fired upside-down on its rim in the kiln to avoid collapse .
Ding ware was categorised by later Chinese connoisseurs as one of the ‘ five classic wares ’ of the
Song dynasty , which were held in particularly high regard . Another of these wares , Jun , is represented by two fine examples in the du Boulay collection . Jun ware is heavier and more robust than Ding ware and its outstanding feature is a thick blue glaze , sometimes decorated with purple splashes .
The most famous and influential of all Chinese ceramics are the blue and white wares first developed in the 14 th century , when cobalt pigments began to be imported from Persia . The College ’ s excellent collection of blue and white porcelain from the Ming dynasty ( 1368-1644 ) has now been enhanced by the addition of a pouring vessel made during the Yuan
Ch201 – ‘ Hill Jar ’, Han dynasty , 1st-2nd century AD
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